This invention relates to covers for roof eave gutters. Debris such as twigs and leaves tends to get washed into the gutters and collect to the point of clogging the flow of rainwater. Covers or guards have come into common use which are designed to prevent the entrance of debris while allowing penetration of rainwater into the gutters thereby to reduce the problem of clogged gutters.
Numerous patents have issued on such gutter covers, which generally take the form of a slotted, perforated or grid like piece of sheet metal or plastic installed over the top of the gutter.
In addition, curved solid covers terminating just short of the outer edge of the gutter have been used, the curvature creating a flow of rainwater tending to project the debris over the outer edge of the gutter while the rainwater follows the curvature of the cover to pass into the gutter.
None of the gutter covers used heretofore have completely solved the problem in all conditions, as clogging and overflow can still occur.
In a design shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,553,356 and 6,944,992, a flexible lip is mounted along the inner edge of the cover engaged with a building fascia or drip edge to seal the gutter against rainwater overflow behind the gutter. In many designs a sealing flange or strip is extended up beneath the shingles as also seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,992.
The lack of any support beneath the inner side of the cover will allow it to drop down creating a reverse tilt tending to impound rainwater, which can cause accumulation of debris.
The gutter cover shown therein has perforations allowing drainage into the gutter, but such perforations limit the inflow of rainwater into the gutter and can easily overflow in heavy rain.
For this reason, a dam feature is provided at the outer edge to impound the rainwater which is said to increase the flow of rainwater through the perforations and into the gutter. Such dam can be ineffective to prevent overflow and can also cause accumulation of debris on the surface of the cover, defeating the purpose of the gutter cover by blocking the perforations and thus cause overflow of the rainwater over the edge of the cover and gutter.
Such overflow can cause unsightly “tiger striping” on the outer wall of the gutter caused by dark discolorations as the rainwater laden with decayed organic material flows down the outside surface of the outer wall of the gutter.
This is a particular problem with light colored gutters.
To prevent this from happening, there has heretofore been devised a diverter for preventing rain overflow from flowing down the outer surface of the gutter outside wall. Such a diverter is described in Canadian patent no. 2,537,681, which comprises either a clip-on separate diverter piece or a gutter integrally formed with a lip projecting past the front wall of the gutter so that overflow is directed past the gutter and prevented from running down the exposed outer surface of the gutter outer wall.
This approach requires either the manufacture and installation of a separate diverter piece or a specially shaped gutter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cover for roof eave gutters which improves the performance of gutter covers of the type having a flexible sealing strip on the inner side of the gutter cover.
It is a further object of the present intention to reduce the tendency for “tiger striping” on the outside of the gutter outer wall to occur without requiring a separate diverter piece or special gutter shape.